Potential Use of Tiltrotor Aircraft in Canadian Aviation - NASA ...

NASA Technical Memorandum 102245

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Potential Use of Tiltrotor Aircraftin Canadian Aviation

Denyse Gazdag and Larry Alton

(NASA-TM-102245) POTENTIAL USE OF TILTROTOR

AIRCRAFT IN CANADIAN AVIATION (NAS/_) _7 p

CSCL 01C

G3/03

No1-16001

Unclds

03290gi

December 1990

NASANational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

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NASA Technical Memorandum 102245

Potential Use of Tiltrotor Aircraftin Canadian AviationDenyse Gazdag, Versatec, Inc., Santa Clara, CaliforniaLarry Alton, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California

December 1990

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National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Ames Research CenterMoffett Field, California 94035-1000

CONTENTS

Page

SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1

AIRPORTS ............................................................................................................................................ 2

DOWNTOWN STOLPORTS ............................................................................................................... 7

HELIPORTS AND HELICOPTER SERVICE ................................................................................... 10

SEARCH AND RESCUE/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES .................................................. 16

NATURAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT ................................................................. 17

LOW-DENSITY AND ISOLATED COMMUNITIES ...................................................................... 19

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY ............................................ :..... 20

CONCLUDING REMARKS .............................................................................................................. 22

APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................................... 23

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 25

FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................ 27

_NTK_tALL? OLANX 111

PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT FILMED

SUMMARY

This paper describes the aviation system in Canada as it relates to the potential applicability of

tiltrotor technology. Commuter service in two corridors, the Vancouver-Victoria route on the west

coast and the heavily traveled MontrEal-Toronto corridor in eastern Canada, are examined. The

operation of air service from the near-downtown Toronto STOLport and from the Vancouver-

Victoria downtown heliport facilities is described. The emergency medical services, search and

rescue, and natural resources development sectors are described with regard to the needs that tiltrotor

technology could uniquely meet in these areas. The airport construction program in isolated com-

munities of northern QuEbec and possible tiltrotor service in northern regions are reviewed. The fed-

eral and provincial governments' financial support policy regarding the aeronautical industry is to

encourage the establishment and expansion of businesses in the field of aeronautics and to make

possible the acquisition of new technology. This policy has implications for the tiltrotor program.

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the tiltrotor's potential applicability in Canada, this report reviews the existing

infrastructure and airport conditions in the industrially developed area between Hamilton, Ontario,

and MontrEal, QuEbec, in the east, and the heavily traveled Vancouver-Victoria area in British

Columbia on the west coast. The needs that potentially could be best met with the use of tiltrotor

technology are identified. The role that the Canadian government plays in promoting and supporting

the aerospace industry, and the implications for aircraft manufacturing, are also reviewed. This

report is by no means exhaustive, and it should be complemented by more detailed analyses of

tiltrotor technology requirements in various sectors of Canadian aviation.

The aviation system in Canada has many similarities to its counterpart in the U.S., but it differs

in certain areas. As in the U.S., commercial aviation operates in a highly economically developed

context, in which intense business activity generates a vast number of transportation needs, for both

people and goods. The immensity of the area over which business is conducted creates the need for

extensive use of air transportation by the business community, and the general affluence of the

Canadian society supports a healthy pleasure air travel business as well. Canada has the highest per

capita use of air travel in the world, and it constitutes the western world's second largest helicopter

market. Because of its low population density, however, it doesn't have as much air and ground con-

gestion as is experienced in America and Europe.

Abundant natural resources---oil, gas, minerals, forests, and waterways suitable for hydroelectric

power generation, mostly found in remote areas--create exploration, extraction, construction, and

transportation activities that necessitate the use of aircraft. Some of these projects are conducted on a

large scale; more than 100 helicopters were used for the transportation of men and equipment during

the first phase of the James Bay hydroelectric project in northern QuEbec between 1972 and 1980.

Canada's aerospace industry, which ranks fifth in size in the western world after the U.S.,

France, Britain, and Germany, is in full expansion. Its sales have increased 152% over a 6-yr period,

Note: The information in this report was compiled in early 1989.

from C$2.3billionI in 1980to C$5.8billion in 1986,andits 1986R&D budgetwasC$580million,comparedwith ayearlyaverageof C$200million between1975and1985.Canadaexports80%ofits production,70%of which is undercivilian contracts.TheCanadianaerospaceindustryreceivesimportantgovernmenthelp,asdoesits Europeancounterpart(its Americancompetitordoesnot).

Roughly85%of thescheduledpassengerservicein Canadais controlledby two companies,Air

Canada and Canadian Air International (CAI). There" are also 37 regional airlines, 11 of which are

partly owned by these two national carriers. Canadian Air is privately owned, but Air Canada, the

largest carder, is government-owned. Parliament has been considering the sale of 45% of its shares

to the public, for C$300 million. Air Canada's planes have one of the highest load factors among the

world's large carriers; in 1987, 71.1% of its seats were occupied, compared with an average of62.3% for U.S. scheduled airlines.

The following is a comparison of selected statistics for the U.S. and Canada.

Canada USA

Population (July 1988)Total area

Population density

Registered rotorcraft

Registered fixed-wing aircraftAirfields

Economic growth rate (1987)

26,087,5365,985,684 mi 24.4/mi 2

1,329 (Feb. 1989)

25,599 (Feb. 1989)

1,2454.4%

246,042,565

5,623,566 m 243.8/mi 2

6,800 (Jan. 1989)

207,086 (Jan. 1989)15,4222.9%

AIRPORTS

Canada's aviation history covers more than 70 yr. Because of the vastness of the land area and

the low density of the population, the establishment of a good air transport system has been essential

for the rapid development of the country. Airfields were established throughout the country early inthe century, even in some remote northern areas.

Privatization of the Canadian airport system, which until recently was run by the federal gov-

ernment, started in 1985, and is expected to be completed within 15 yr. Already, the management of

several small airports has been turned over to the private sector. For major airports, the process istaking longer because of the greater complexity involved. Privatization of services and infrastruc-

tures will be the next step.

Government subsidies are available for the construction of new airports and the expansion ofexisting facilities; they cover as much as 50% of the cost. One criterion that determines the amount

of subsidy available is the number of jobs created by the project.

The Toronto and MontrEal airports have the heaviest air traffic in eastern Canada; the Torontoairport is the busiest of the two. The Montr6al-Toronto line is the most heavily traveled route in

Canada (12th heaviest in the world), with a daily average of 50 flights in each direction, and

IC$1 = U.S.$0.79 (March 1989).

2

transportingatotalof 6000passengersbetweenPearsonInternationalAirport andDorvalInternationalAirport. Jetaircraftareusedfor 85%of theseflights.

Montreal Area Airports

Greater Montr6al, with a population of 2.8 million inhabitants, has four airports (see fig. 1):

Dorval and Mirabel International; and two small private airports, at St. Hubert, south of the island ofMontrEal, and Cartierville, next to Dorval. Private clubs and the military use St. Hubert. There have

been proposals to convert this general-aviation airport into a facility for regional traffic. Canadair

now owns the Cartierville airport and uses it as a testing facility, but has plans to sell it and move to

Mirabel airport; the land will be used for a housing development.

Mirabel International

Mirabel Intemational Airport, located 56 km (34 mi) north of Montr6al, was opened in 1975. Itwas intended to receive all of Montr6al' s international traffic, as well as domestic jet traffic. Two

main factors prevented Mirabel from reaching its potential traffic volume.

1. Over the years, ten Canadian airports have joined Montr6al as international gateways to Canada.

. The transfer system between Mirabel Intemational, which receives overseas flights, and DorvalInternational, 39 km (24 mi) away, which handles domestic and transborder flights, is inadequate

and inefficient. Consequently, non-origin/destination (OD) travelers choose, if possible, other

international airports where connections are more convenient.

At present, Mirabel is operating below capacity, and congestion is not anticipated until well into the

next century.

Downtown-to-airport transportation- Mirabel can be reached in approximately 1 hr from

downtown Montr6al. In general, access to Mirabel by ground transportation presents no problem,because most intercontinental flights arrive and depart outside peak traffic hours. Arrivals occur

between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. and departures between 7 and 9 p.m.

There are plans to establish a helicopter shuttle service from the proposed downtown heliport.

However, because demand is not projected to be large enough to support a viable business, the ser-vice will be "on demand" rather than scheduled on a regular basis. For the most part, helicopter

shuttle service is used exclusively by first-class passengers, and it is estimated that only 10% of these

passengers, representing only 1% of the total passenger population, avail themselves of the service.

This translates to about 4 passengers per flight, and about 40 passengers per day.

The taxi fare for the Mirabel-Montr6al ride is about $50, whereas helicopter transportation

would be approximately $100. Time saved in traveling by helicopter would be approximately 50%,

assuming 40 min of ground-transportation access time vs 20 min for air transportation. Given these

circumstances, demand for helicopter shuttle service is not projected to be great.

3

Dorval International

Dorval International Airport, located 21 km (12.5 mi) from downtown MontrEal, has experienced

a sharp increase in traffic recently; forecasts indicate that the trend will continue into the nextcentury. From 1983 to 1987, the number of passengers using Dorval climbed from 5,143,000 to

5,957,000, and the forecast for 1996 is 8,590,000 passengers. It is predicted that by 2001 this figurewill increase to 9,850,000 (see percentages in fig. 2).

Helicopter traffic to Dorval averages ten helicopter movements per day, and consists mostly of

traffic surveillance service, with some chartered flights.

Downtown-to-airport transportation- Dorval can be reached in 15 to 60 min from downtown,

depending on traffic. To expedite travel to the airport it may be possible to convert the right-of-way

that runs parallel to the railroad tracks into an express bus lane.

Ottawa Area Airports

The two airports that handle air traffic to the Ottawa metropolitan area, which has a population of

546,849, are Ottawa International, 30 min away from Parliament Hill, and Gatineau Airport, with a

15-min access time (fig. 3). Ottawa International experiences very few congestion problems, and

Gatineau, a regional airport, has none.

Toronto-Hamilton Area Airports

Toronto has a population of 2.1 million. It has one intemational airport (Pearson); a STOLport

[ 1372 meter (4500 ft) runway] on Toronto Island; Buttonville general aviation airport; and

Downsview military airport, which is used also by de Havilland as its testing facility (see fig. 4). The

market share of each airport is shown in figure 5.

Hamilton, with Hamilton Civic Airport, is 70 km (42 mi) southwest of Toronto. Its population is306,400.

Toronto--Pearson International

Pearson International Airport handles three times the traffic for which it was designed, which

causes airlines to experience more and more delays. This overall traffic increase (fig. 6), which

started in 1983, can be explained by the following factors.

1. Upturn in the economy

2. Lower airfares

3_ Deregulation ........

4

4. Expansionof thecharterandcommutersectors

5. More internationalairlinespressingto comeinto the lucrativeTorontomarket

This combinationof factorshascausedthenumberof passengersusingPearsonInternationaltoincreasefrom 13,579,100in 1983to anestimated19,334,000in 1988.Themedianforecastfor theyear 1996is 26,000,000passengers,andin 2001it shouldreach30,110,000passengers.

With full deregulation,whichhasbeengraduallyimplementedsince1983,commutertraffic inOntariois predictedto increasesubstantially.Thehigh-densitycommuterroutesareToronto-Windsor-SaultSainteMarie andToronto-Timmins.

To meetthedemand,PearsonInternationalAirport needstwo morerunwaysin additionto thethreeexistingones.Themostdifficult stumblingblockis theoppositionpresentedby theanti-noiselobby.A new24-gateterminalisunderconstruction.This $38million projectis beingexecutedbytheprivatesector.

Economic costs of congestion at Pearson International- It is estimated that the Canadian

airline industry is losing millions of dollars every year because of delays caused by congestion at

Pearson International Airport. Waiting time for takeoff clearance varies between 30 min and 3 hr.

(As of December 1988, a limit on the number of flights per hour was enforced; waiting times are

now (in 1990) a maximum of 1 hr.) Short-haul traffic from Ottawa and Montr6al sits on the ramp

waiting for clearance to land at Pearson. If the wait is too long, the flight is cancelled. According to

estimates by the Air Transport Association of Canada, the cost of fuel burned while planes are

waiting amounts to roughly $750,000/yr for Toronto-related flights. The figures are similar for

Vancouver International Airport.

When 30 planes are lined up on the ground waiting for takeoff clearance, as happened one

morning in November 1988, $1 billion of capital is not being productive. Some planes waited so

long with engines running that they had to refuel. Those 30 planes were carrying an estimated

2,000 passengers, many of whom missed connections or appointments; those missed opportunitiestranslated into economic losses for both individuals and businesses. (One passenger, an engineer, is

now suing an airline for $50,000 because his cancelled flight caused him to miss the deadline for a

bid presentation.)

Revenues to the city are also diminished because of the congestion at Pearson and its attendantinconvenience to travelers. For instance, Toronto has lost at least one big convention for 1989. This

translates into a loss of $2 million to the Toronto economy.

Although it is impossible to put a precise dollar value on the economic cost of flight delays and

cancellations, these problems serve to emphasize the desirability of a convenient, direct, downtown

air transport service.

There is some degree of inflexibility as to how traffic scheduling can be changed at Pearson

International. For example:

1. Airlines that serve the highly profitable Toronto-Miami route want to run two flights per day,

per airplane: higher utilization of the aircraft enables the airlines to offer lower prices. This type of

scheduledictatesadepartureat 7 a.m.for areturnat3 p.m.,sothatasecondflight candepart at

4 p.m. and return before curfew time, i.e., midnight, after which time jets are not allowed to land.

2. European flights have a narrow time slot resulting from time differences that impose con-

straints on departure time from Toronto and dictate arrival time from Europe.

The following measures are envisioned by Transport Canada to relieve congestion at Pearson:

1. Build a fourth runway.

2. Extend the jet landing hours beyond the 7 a.m.-midnight limits.

3. Route charter traffic to Hamilton, 70 km (42 mi) southwest of Toronto.

4. Build a new airport at Pickering, east of Toronto, for small planes and business jets.

Planned business center at the terminal building- To better serve the needs of Pearson's

business users, Transport Canada plans to add facilities similar to the London STOLport's business

center that provide telephone, telex, and fax services as well as stock exchange data display,

translation, and secretarial services. The government has issued a call for proposals to the private

sector to build the planned business center; it will lease the land on which to build it.

Downtown-to-airport transportation (Toronto-Pearson)- The distance between downtown

Toronto and Pearson International Airport is 27 km (16 mi). By car, the time from downtown to the

airport is between 30 and 60 min, depending on traffic. By public transportation (half way by

subway and then by express bus), it is about 1 hr.

Hamilton--Hamilton Civic

Hamilton Civic Airport has no congestion, and travel time to downtown is only 30 min, at low or

peak traffic times. This airport is being considered as a possible site to which to divert charter traffic

from heavily congested Pearson International.

Helicopter traffic at Hamilton Civic is about 6 movements per day, involving photography

missions, chartered passenger transport, and occasional small-package cargo.

Future Increases in Airport Activity

The passage of the U.S./Canada Free Trade Agreement, in early 1989, will spur increased busi-

ness activity between the two countries, and this growth will translate into increased cross-border

traffic. The major part of this expanded traffic will be in the direction of MontrEal and Toronto, the

banking, business, and commercial centers of eastern Canada.

It has been estimated that commercial traffic over the Intemational Peace Bridge linking Buffalo

and Fort Erie will quadruple as a consequence of the U.S./Canada Free Trade Agreement. Pre-

dictably, air traffic between MontrEal and Toronto and the major business centers of the easternUnited States, including the Detroit and Cleveland areas, all within tiltrotor range, will increase

markedly also.

To evaluatetheneedfor tiltrotor servicebetweenTorontoandMontrral, andto themajorcitiesof thenortheasternUnitedStates,weneedto estimatetheadditionalmovementsthatwill resultfromincreasedbusinessbetweentheU.S.andCanadaaftertheeasingof traderestrictions,aswell asthesignificantnormalgrowthprojected.Theincreasedairportcongestion(air andground)will makeattractivetheuseof tiltrotor flights to convenientlylocateddowntownvertiports.Thefeasibilityofdevelopingdowntownserviceinfrastructurein theU.S.,capableof handlingbothU.S.andCanadiantraffic, shouldalsobestudied.

DOWNTOWN STOLPORTS

Ottawa Rockcliffe and Montrral Victoria STOLports

From 1974 to 1976, the federal government conducted a STOL demonstration program operated

by Airtransit, a subsidiary of Air Canada especially set up for the program, that provided a high fre-

quency service between the Montrral Victoria STOLport and the Ottawa Rockcliffe STOLport,

200 km (120 mi) away. Both STOLports were located near the downtown areas (see figs. 1, 3,

and 7). The Ottawa STOLport was located on the grounds of an existing airport, formerly a military

airfield, and the Montreal STOLport was built on a garbage dump site.

The de Havilland Twin Otter was selected as the appropriate aircraft to implement STOL service.

For its intended operation in urban areas it was especially modified with area navigation (R-NAV),

microwave landing system (MLS), heavy duty brakes, and lift spoilers; it was, therefore, uncertified.

The aircraft modifications, which included interior alterations, reduced seating capacity from 17-20

passengers to 11 passengers. The service was used mostly by government officials and business

people traveling for government purposes. The experiment lasted 21 mo, and about 158,000

passengers were carried. The program was not designed to be profitable.

The main objectives of the program were to test the technical, operational, and regulatory

components of STOL downtown-to-downtown air service; passenger acceptance of STOL service;community reaction before and during implementation of a new transportation system; economic

viability of the system; and public acceptance of permanent STOL facilities.

Subsequent implementation of an economically viable STOL service was never carried out,

primarily because no feasible certified aircraft existed, but also because of the oil crisis and thedepressed state of the Canadian economy that had dampened the air travel industry, and the two

STOLports went into disuse with regard to commercial aviation.

The Ottawa Rockcliffe STOLport is now used exclusively by small aircraft of aviation clubs.

The Montrral Victoria STOLport was closed after the STOL demonstration. Installation of transmis-

sion lines in 1980 imposed further constraints on approach patterns and limited its potential use to

the Dash 7 (50 passengers), the only aircraft that met the specific landing requirements in the newenvironment.

The Victoria STOLport's runways had suffered extensive damage over the years in the form of

mounds and gullies caused by settling and by methane gas escaping from the buried dump. In 1985-

1986, Transport Canada conducted a study to evaluate the feasibility of putting the airport back into

service. It was estimated that the cost would be prohibitive and, in addition, no intensive use of the

facility wasprojectedfor theforeseeablefuture.Consequently,restorationplanswereabandonedandthelandwassoldto TE16globe,whichwill developahigh-techparkonthepremises.Theinitialplansincludedtheinstallationof aheliport (seemap(fig. 1)).Thelatestplansfor theMontr6alheliportarediscussedin detail later.

Toronto Island STOLport

Officially known as the Toronto Island Airport, the Toronto STOLport opened as a regular air-

port in 1939. During World War II it was used as a training base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force,

and it reverted back to civilian use in 1945. For the next 32 yr, traffic consisted mostly of generalaviation movements. Scheduled service started in 1977 with Air Atonabee serving local routes in

southern Ontario, and in 1984 STOL service was introduced by City Express. Details of its operation

follow.

The Toronto STOLport is located 121 m (400 ft) from the city's shoreline, across a navigable

waterway, and is easily accessible by ferry (a 2-rain ride). Downtown is 5-6 rain from the ferry ter-

minal. The airport is operative for Dash 7's, Dash 8's and ST27's, used by City Express, and for pri-

vate aircraft. The only jets allowed are those used for medical evacuation.

The first microwave landing system (MLS) to be installed in Canada has been operational at the

STOLport since February 1989.

The Toronto Island STOLport is the third busiest commercial airport in Canada; it handles up to

70 regional airline movements per day. The total yearly traffic, including private aircraft, is approx-

imately 200,000 movements, and the airport ranks seventh in passenger usage. A new terminal

building is under construction.

A study was done on the economic impact of building a new terminal and digging a tunnel to

link the island with the mainland. The present ferry system will limit the passengers-per-year

capacity to 1.2 million.

Seventy-eight million people live within 400 n.mi of Toronto. This distance is the STOLport's

economically feasible range of operation. Planes that can serve routes beyond this range need an

additional 400 ft of runway. The STOLport has one 1,212-m (4,000-ft) runway, and two 909-m

(3,000-ft) runways. With its three short runways bracketed by water, this airport cannot be easilyextended.

City Express Airline

City Express, the only remaining independent regional airline in Canada, is one of the fastest-

growing Canadian carriers (see fig. 8). It operates a service between the Toronto Island STOLportand Ottawa International Airport, Dorval International Airport in MontrEal, and the Newark airport

in New Jersey, with a fleet of four Dash 7's (50 seats, 250 mph) and four Dash 8's (37 seats,

290 mph).

The 1984 inauguration of service to Ottawa (253 mi away) met with immediate market response.

To satisfy the increasing demand, two more Dash 7's were added to the fleet; within a year, traffic

increasedfrom 24,000to 200,000passengers.Discountedweekendfareshavebeenverypopular;a65-minDash7 flight to Ottawacosts$59,versus$40for a6-hr train ride.

In September1985,ahigh-frequencyserviceto MontrEal,345mi away,wasstartedwith two40-seatDash8's. Becauseof its speedandpassengercomfort,theDash8hasprovento becompeti-tive againstlargejet services.In t986, traffic increasedto 270,000passengers.In thespringof 1987,two additionalDash8's wereacquiredandservicewasextendedto Newark,NJ, 373n.miaway,with nineroundtrips daily. In 1987,City Expresscarried400,000passengers.Its two majorroutesareToronto-OttawaandToronto-Newark.Percapitausageof theSTOLserviceis lower in Torontothanin Ottawaor MontrEal.

Thecompletedowntown-to-downtownserviceis accomplishedwith afleetof City Expressbusesthatpick uppassengersandluggagein thecentralbusinessdistrictof Toronto,MontrEal,orOttawa,anddeliverthemto thedoorof theairplane,thuseliminatingtime consumedin theterminal.Whentheaircraftarrivesatits destination,abuspicksupthepassengersdirectly from theplaneanddrivesthemdowntown.Passengersmustbeatthepickuppoint onehourbeforedeparturetime,Noreservationis necessaryfor thebusservice,andthecostis includedin theplanefare.Luggagecheck-inat thepickuppoint is anadditionalattractivefeatureof theservice.Thebrightly paintedbusesserveasmobilebillboardsadvertisingtheservicethroughdowntownToronto,MontrEal,andOttawa.

Passengersurveysconductedat thebeginningof operationof theSTOLserviceindicatedthat35%of thetraffic wascomingfrom train,bus,andautousers,while 3%to 5%of thetravelerswouldnothavemadethetrip if it werenot for theCity Expressair service.It shouldbenoted,however,thatbusinesspeoplearefaithful to Air CanadaandCanadian(formerlyCPAir) cardersthatlandatPearsonInternational.Pearsonis atthewestendof Toronto,andits proximity to thebedroomcom-munitiesmakesit moreconvenientfor theresidentsof thesecommunitiesthanthedowntownSTOLportis.

City Expressis now running66-72 flightsdaily outof TorontoIsland,with aturnaroundtimeunder20min. During theweek,thebiggestloadsof passengersoriginatein Ottawa,MontrEal,andNewark.On weekends,thetraffic patternisreversed;mosttraffic originatesin Toronto,andiscomposedof passengerswho wantto spendtheweekendin Ottawa,MontrEal,or New York. Thesuccessof theservicehasresultedin a steadyincreasein traffic, causingtheislandfacility to becomeincreasinglycongested.(Air Ontariohassinceofferedverycompetitiveflights,however.)

It is noteworthythatCity Expresshasbeensuccessfuleventhoughnear-downtownairportfacili-tiesexistonly atoneendof theroute.If downtownfacilitieswereavailableat bothends,theremightbeanevenhigherdegreeof utilizationof theservice.

Within 2yr, serviceis expectedto expandto Cleveland,Detroit,Rochester,London(Ontario),Windsor,QuEbecCity, andBoston.SkykingAirlines International,anAmericancarrier,is duetoinaugurateaToronto-Bostonservicein 1989.Two otherairlines,Air OntarioandInter-Canadian,areexpectedto useTorontoSTOLportsoon.Servicewill beprovidedwith Dash7, Dash8, andDornier225aircraft.TheBAe 146mayalsobeused,if thebanonjet landingis lifted by thecity ofToronto.

9

Market elasticity

The downtown-to-downtown air transportation market in Canada is highly price-sensitive, andintercity fares should be the same as or lower than those for non-intercity air travel in order to be

competitive. City Express management has observed that (1) fare increases result in decreased busi-

ness volume; and (2) the after-8 p.m., reduced-fare flights are the most popular.

The following are full coach fares (two-way) for City Express flights from Toronto Island and

for Air Canada from Pearson International (all fares in U.S. dollars).

City Express Air Canada

Toronto-Montrral $259 $312

Toronto-Ottawa $238 $268

Toronto-Newark $224 $302

Surveys should be conducted of potential users of a downtown tiltrotor service in Canadian

cities, in order to assess the acceptability of higher fares as a trade-off for the convenience ofdowntown-to-downtown service.

HELIPORTS AND HELICOPTER SERVICE

Canada is the the westem world's second largest helicopter market. It has 237 private, public,

and government heliports, many of them in northern Canada.

Helicopters are used mostly for resource development support, search-and-rescue missions,

transportation of skiers to mountaintops, various environmental and scientific research programs in

isolated polar regions, and emergency medical services (EMS) missions. For the latter, helicopters

are being increasingly replaced by Cessna airplanes because of their higher speed.

Canada does not yet have much experience with helicopter shuttle service between airports and

downtown areas. In the mid 1980s it inaugurated its first helicopter service between Pearson Inter-

national Airport and downtown Toronto. After a few months of operation, the service was discontin-

ued, as discussed below. Another service, started in December 1987 to serve the Vancouver-Victoria

route in British Columbia, is enjoying rapid and steady growth. Details of both operations follow.

Toronto's Downtown Heliport

For a few months in 1987, Air Canada provided a shuttle service between the Toronto downtown

heliport and Pearson International Airport, 27 km (16 mi) away. Ranger Helicopters Canada

operated this service. Specifics of the operation were as follows:

34 trips daily, between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

10

-- 10-minride, versus30-45min for groundtransportation

Threesix-passengerA6rospatialehelicopters

Fares: First-classAir Canadapassengersfree

$15for executivepassengers

$35for discountedfarepassengers

$45for passengersnotcontinuingwith Air Canada

Theregularshuttleserviceby busis $7.50.

Dependingon thesourceof information,variousexplanationsaregivenfor thedemiseof thishelicopterservice,including(1) complaintsaboutnoisepollution;(2) thehighcostof thefide,whichpreventedgenerationof enoughtraffic for profitability; and(3) the locationof theheliport at theeastemendof theharbour,whichrequiredanadditional10-to 15-minvanride to thecity center.

Theconvenienceof theCity Expressservicedirectlyto downtownTorontoisreducingAirCanada'sshareof thetraffic to Toronto.

Vancouver and Victoria Harbour Heliports

Victoria (population 263,000), the capital of British Columbia, is situated on Vancouver Island

across the Georgia Strait from Vancouver (population 424,000), the province's commercial and

business center (fig. 9). The existence of these heliports is the result of persistence, and communica-

tion and cooperation among several entities, namely the municipal and federal authorities and the

Harbour Heliports Society, which was formed with the goal of providing Vancouver and Victoria

with well-located heliports. The granting of a temporary permit to operate helicopter service from

the harbor areas gave the public, who strongly opposed the project, the opportunity to experience

first hand the effects of helicopter movements between the two cities. Based on that experience, it

was determined that the negative aspects, visual impact and noise pollution, were acceptable.

The Vancouver Harbour Heliport, located near downtown on Burrard Inlet (see fig. 9), is the

largest floating North American airport (30,456 sq ft). Its construction, which cost C$1.7 million,

was jointly financed by the Vancouver Port Corporation (private) and Canada' s Transport Ministry(30%). It has three landing pads approved for day and night operation; the largest, built to handle

50,000-1b loads, is capable of accommodating helicopters up to the size of the Boeing Vertol

Chinook. There are plans to reconfigure the heliport to accommodate five helicopters.

The Victoria Harbour Heliport was developed at the approximate cost of $166,000; the city of

Victoria contributed about $16,000, and Helijet Airways financed the rest. It is located on land near

the outer harbor, 5 rain from downtown.

11

HeUjet Airways

Helijet Airways is a newly formed airline that provides scheduled helicopter service between

Victoria and Vancouver. Most of its market is composed, in approximately equal numbers, of gov-

ernment employees from Victoria and business people from Vancouver. For these travelers, most of

whom prefer to make day trips, time is at a premium. Helijet Airways, with its downtown-to-downtown service approved for day and night operation, provides the service that best meets theft

needs. The majority of Helijet's customers have been gained from the seaplane service, and the rest

of its business is a new market consisting of passengers who had been using the airport or ferry

routes. Reservations must be made three to four days in advance.

The Vancouver heliport is within walking distance from downtown, and in Victoria, Helijet

Airways provides passengers with free van shuttle service from the heliport to downtown.

Characteristics of the helicopter service

Trip length: 101 km (61 mi), mostly over water

-- Operating hours 0630-2030

Flight Time 28 min

One-way fare C$88

-- Aircraft: three Sikorsky S-76s (12 seats)

-- Average load eight passengers per flight

Frequency 14 round trips daily

Dispatch reliability rate 98%. Of 1,934 scheduled trips, only 12 were cancelled because of

mechanical problems, and 26 because of bad weather.

Competing services

The Helijet's downtown-to-downtown helicopter service is in competition with 100 daily fixed-

wing aircraft flights.

1. Airport-to-airport route (the most saturated in Canada)

-- Flight time 25 rain

-- One-way fare C$61

airport-to-downtown ground transportation to:

12

Distance Time Cost

Victoria 30 km (18 m) 30 rain $9 (taxi)

Vancouver 18 km (11 m) 20 rain $6.50 (taxi)

2. Harbor-to-harbor service from Burrard Inlet in Vancouver to Victoria's outer harbour

-- Flight time 35 min

--Twin Otter float-planes (18 passengers)

n One-way fare C$76

-- Traffic volume 65,000 passengers/yr

There is also a ferry service:

-- Travel time 60 min

-- Frequency: every 30 min

-- One-way fare C$15

Frequency of service

Raising its level of frequency to the present 14 round trips per day (five days a week) has enabled

Helijet to steadily increase its clientele and to build passenger loyalty. Helijet claims to control more

than one third of the harbor market. It carried 21,000 passengers in 1987, 59,000 in 1988, and it is

expected to carry 73,000 passengers in 1989 (fig. 10).

The maximum-utilization schedule, dictated by the S-76's maintenance requirements of 3 hr of

maintenance work for each flight hour, is eight round trips per day per helicopter. In addition tO the

scheduled flights, there are six to seven charter flights per day for corporate transport. EMS and

SAR-mission flights represent less than 5% of the total traffic.

Helijet's passenger load factors are illustrated in figure 11. The present fleet of three helicopters

brings down the break-even point to 60%. With its previous fleet of two aircraft, Helijet had toachieve a rate of 70% to break even. The company's revenues, including projections for the early

nineties, are illustrated in figure 12.

Noise

Noise-pollution complaints were lodged by the residents of both cities, and by residents of

Saturna Island, near the midpoint of the Vancouver-Victoria route. These complaints were success-

fully addressed by changing the flight patterns and raising the flight altitude of the helicopters to4,500 ft southbound from Vancouver and 5,500 ft northbound from Victoria. The replacement of the

2-bladed helicopters (B412) by 4-bladed ones (S-76) was another successful noise-abatement mea-

13

suretaken.It is importantto noteherethat,becauseof its lowernoiseprofile (seeappendix),thetiltrotor wouldbea moreacceptableaircraft to operatein urbanareas.

Expanded service to Vancouver International

In November !987, Helijet started a six-daily-trip service between Victoria Heliport and

Vancouver International Airport. Passengers and baggage are transported by van from the helicopterto the main terminal.

Comparative advantages and disadvantages of float plane and helicopter service

Twin Otter floatplane

--Ability to fly to alternate airports in badweather

uShorter time between overhauls

--Visual flight rules (VFR) restrictions limit

service during short winter days

S-76 Helicopter

Advantages"

--Instrument flight rules (IFR) capability

extends service during winter

--No steep approaches, flares, and splashdowns

--Avoids increasingly congested harbours

--Travel time reduced by 5 rain

Disadvantages

--Greater noise pollution

--Higher direct operating costs

--Some cancellations necessary because of high

winds and rough seas

---High maintenance costs for floats and salt-

water operations

Plans for Expansion of Service

Helijet is considering operation of a service on the 80-mi route from Vancouver International to

the ski resort of Whistler Mountain. This is a very attractive, price-insensitive megamarket. How-

ever, there are difficult operational problems, including (1) an IFR route involving an 11,000-ft min-

imum en route altitude (MEA) requirement, on one engine; and (2) icing conditions that are amongthe most severe in the world.

14

A downtownVancouver-Seattleairportserviceis alsobeingplanned.

Tiltrotor possibilities

Helijet Airways is a strong advocate of the new tiltrotor technology, with its potential for deliver-

ing more convenient and efficient service. Helijet envisions it being used to serve hard-to-reach areas

in mountainous British Columbia, and to link Seattle with the city centers of Vancouver andVictoria.

Montreal's Proposed Heliport

Presently, Montr6al's helicopter traffic uses facilities scattered throughout the city and at the

international airports. The proliferation of landing pads in the city is increasingly putting the safety

of the residents of Montr6al at risk. Concerned about the potential for disastrous accidents, the gov-

ernment has ordered the closure of these landing pads by the end of 1989. There is a pressing needfor a conveniently located heliport.

Location

One of the potential heliport locations under consideration is a vacant site by the Saint Lawrence

River, between the Victoria and Champlain bridges. The area is clear of obstructions on all sides,

and the adjacent freeway makes possible quick access (6 or 7 min ground time) to the business

center of Montr6al, a mere 6 km (3.5 mi) away.

Use

The heliport facility will be used primarily by the police, EMS, and business people. Light cargo

transportation, of mail and small packages, is another possible use. The heliport could also serve as a

transit point for light cargo going to the Montr6al, Ottawa, and Qu6bec City airports. There are no

plans for heavy cargo transport, which would require large helicopters, because this mode of trans-

portation is not considered economically viable. Passenger service will be on demand, as explainedearlier.

Specifications

The following specifications for Montrdal's heliport have been proposed. These plans are subject

to change, depending on projected use based on market analysis.

1. Seven hangars are proposed, the largest of which will be 70 by 120 ft, with a clearance of

32 ft. A tiltrotor such as the V-22 would require a width of 90 fi, but smaller corporate-size tiltrotors

could be handled at the proposed facility. Should there be a need for a larger tiltrotor hangar,accommodations could be made.

2. Landing surface dimensions will be 700 x 700 ft. This landing area is more than adequate to

handle even the largest tiltrotor now being considered.

3. MLS installation may not be possible, because of the proximity of microwave antennae.

15

It is anticipatedthatthisplannedheliportfacility will befully convertedintoavertiportwhentiltro-tot serviceis to beaccommodated.Tiltrotor usefor convenientandquick intercitytravelhasmanyadvocatesin Montr6al,bothin governmentandin thebusinesscommunity.TransportCanadahasbegunastudyon tiltrotor vertiportdevelopmentin Canada.

SEARCH AND RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

With its thousands of lakes and waterways, in addition to its thousands of miles of coastal waters

intensively used for recreation and commercial purposes, Canada is the scene of numerous marine

incidents every year. In 1988, 80% of the 9,262 search and rescue (SAR) missions conducted inCanada were marine incidents.

The Canadian territory is divided into four SAR regions. The Victoria region, encompassing allof British Columbia plus 320 km (200 mi) out to sea, is the busiest. In 1985, it accounted for

3,127 missions, or almost 38% of all rescue operations conducted in the country.

Canadian SAR air missions are carried out by 11 planes and 48 helicopters from the Ministries of

Defense and Transportation. The P-3 Orion long-range patrol aircraft have been in operation since

1984. They constitute the only Canadian Air Force resource with the necessary speed, range, andendurance for SAR in remote areas and in the marine environment. In British Columbia, SAR

missions are carried out with five Boeing CH-113 helicopters and four de Havilland CC-115 fixed-wing aircraft.

The CH- 113s have the following limitations that can adversely affect their ability to performrescue missions:

1. They are not certified for ice. Consequently, when temperatures of 2°C or lower and visiblemoisture are predicted, the mission can't be undertaken.

2. They cannot maintain a hover on one engine. If an engine fails during a hoist operation, theaircraft will fall to the ground (or water).

3. They have limited altitude capability. This constitutes a serious drawback for missions inmany areas of the Rocky Mountains.

The CH-113s have been used since 1965, and several have accumulated more than 10,000 hr of

operation. They are expected to remain in service until at least the early to mid-! 990s, when theymight be replaced with the Anglo-Italian EH-101.

For certain kinds of rescue missions, both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft must be used, each

compensating for the other's limitations. Because of its faster speed and longer range, the CC-115

airplane will go first to find the scene, and guide the helicopter, which will make the rescue using itshovering capability. In some cases, the helicopter performs the rescue and then lands at the nearest

airstrip to transfer the victims to an airplane for a faster trip to the hospital.

16

For therescueof peopleat sea,in areasunreachableby helicopter,rescuersresortto theuseoftheseaSKAD (SurvivalKit Air Droppable),droppedfrom anairplane.Unfortunately,this life raft'saerialinflation featuremakesit vulnerableto wind andhigh seas.Consequently,accuracyisoftennotgood,with potentiallydisastrousconsequencesfor thepeoplein needof rescue.Evenif arecentlyimproveddeliverysystemalleviatesthisproblem,it will notbeableto matchthetiltrotor inability to rescuesurvivorsimmediatelyaftertheyaresighted.

Fixed-wingairplanes,becauseof their speed,areincreasinglyreplacinghelicoptersfor EMS mis-sions.The advantageof speedin theair, however,iscounterbalancedby theinability to accessallterrainsandto landnearhospitals,andthusthefixed-wingaircraftdonot completelyfill theneedfordeliveringbetterEMS services.Thevastnessof theCanadianterritory,andthelow densityofpopulationin manyareas,requireanEMStransportsystemthatincorporatesspeed,range,andall-terrainaccessibility.All threeof thesefeaturesareuniquelyexhibitedby thetiltrotor.

In Canada'scoastalwatersandin theGreatLakes,quickrescueof survivorsis important.Othermissionstakeplacein remote,hard-to-reach,mountainousareas(virtually all of British Columbiaisconsideredmountainous).A factorthataffectsthesurvivalrateof peoplewhoneedrescueis theextremelylow temperaturesthatoccurthroughoutthecountryduringmuchof theyear.Time is oftheessencefor thesuccessof rescuemissions.It is clearthat,becauseof geographyandclimate,Canada'sSAR missionswouldbegreatlyenhancedby theuseof tiltrotors.For EMS andSAR mis-sions,tiltrotor marketabilitywill dependondemonstratingthatagreaternumberof missionscanbecardedoutwith a greaterrateof success(i.e.,numberof lives saved).

NATURAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT

Canada has the most diversified mining industry in the world, which contributes more than 10%

of its GNP. Mega-resource-development projects worth $440 billion have been scheduled for con-

struction in Canada between 1981 and the end of this century. Eighty percent of these new projects

will be in offshore locations and in remote regions of the west and the north. Many of the sites are

inaccessible to ground transport because of terrain or weather conditions.

Traditionally, natural resource development projects have required the creation of new towns forworkers. New towns in desolate areas don't offer the amenities and social environment conducive to

retaining the work force for long periods of time. Consequently, work-force turnover in the mining

industry is high and productivity is low for many northern projects. Recently, government policydictated that workers be housed in already existing towns and be transported to the site of explora-

tion. The policy stated that "the Alberta Government will encourage the improvement and growth of

existing towns and facilities rather than the development of entirely new ones. It recognizes the

weakness of 'one-company' or even 'one-resource' communities and will promote economicallyfeasible diversification whenever possible." In other cases, environmental and ecological constraints

prevent the creation of new towns.

Several resource development companies have provided their workers with commuter transporta-

tion from existing towns to mining sites. Bus commuting can be the cheapest mode of transportationwhen roads are available. Unions, however, have demanded travel-time compensation, which must

to be added to the direct cost of transportation; total commuting cost is thus increased considerably.

Air transportation then becomes a better alternative.

17

Surveysconductedby miningcompaniesindicatedthatpeoplehavenegativefeelingstowardcompanymining towns,andconcludedthatthe"fly-in" conceptcouldachievetherequirementof asatisfactoryandstablework force.Thefly-in systemvaries,dependingon thelocationof themineandits distancefrom thetown.Two examplesof theprogram,in AlbertaandSaskatchewan,follow.

At theLuscar-StercoCoalMine, located60mi southof Edsonin a mountainousregionofAlberta,helicopterswereusedfor daily commuting.Thisarrangement,favoredby theworkers,con-tributedto increasedstability in thework force,to thebenefitof thecompany.In 1980,theLuscar-Sterco'semployeeturnoverratewas18%,half theaverageindustryrate.

ThepositiveresultsachievedattheGulf MineralsCanadaLtd.'s projectatRabbitLakeinSaskatchewan,430mi northeastof Saskatoon,is anotherexampleof theadvantageof air commutingversuscreatinganewtown.Consideringwork forcemorale,stability,andproductivity,Gulf, in1975,optedfor thefly-in systemeventhoughits costwouldbehigherthanthedirectcapitalandoperatingcostsassociatedwith thecreationof anewtown.Gulf charteredoneF-27andonedeHavillandTwin Otter to transportits workersfrom chosentownsto theminingsite.Theworkersareonaseven-day-in/seven-day-outschedule,working 11hr perday.Productivityhasbeenverygood,with all goalsmetor surpassed.

Similar long-rangecommuteroperationshavebeenstudiedfor Yukonprojects.

Mining activitiesin northernQuEbecrequirefixed-wingair transportationof personnelandequipmentfrom MontrEalto themining townsof Val d'Or, Matagami,ChibougamauandSchef-ferville, located300to 850mi northof MontrEal.Fromthere,helicopterstransportmenandmateri-alsto thesitesof exploration,extraction,or buildingactivity.

Becausehelicoptertransportationisexpensive,theminingcompaniesbuild roadsto thesesiteswheneverpossible.Someareasaretooremoteto makegroundtransportationfeasible.

TheQuEbecprovincialgovernmenthasundertakenavasthydroelectricprojectin theJamesBayregionof northwesternQuEbec.Thefirst phasetookplacefrom 1972to 1980;thesecondphase,inwhich3 moredamswill bebuilt andhigh-tensionlineswill be installeddownto theAmericanborder,is expectedto take10yr to complete.TheQuEbecgovernmentapprovedthis$24billionprojectin March 1988.

During thefirst phase,100helicopterswereusedto transportmenandmaterials.Since1980 the

territory has been provided with some ground transportation infrastructure, so fewer helicopters willbe needed in the second phase. Some helicopters will be needed after completion of the project for

maintenance and patrol.

Sixteen to twenty helicopters are presently used in offshore drilling. In July 1988, an _portant

project was approved for offshore oil drilling, with encouraging implications for the helicopterindustry. The Hibernia consortium, consisting of four oil companies, received federal government

authorization to develop the Hibernia oil fields, 315 km (190 mi) off the coast of Newfoundland.

Several possible new sites of exploration in the Atlantic along the Labrador coast have beenidentified. Should they be developed, the vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft market will be

expanded considerably.

18

Naturalresourcesdevelopmentprojectsconstituteanothernichefor thetiltrotor. Givenits range,speed,payloadcapacity,andall-terrainaccessibility,thetiltrotor offerstheadvantageof makingdirecttransportfrom populationcentersto theprojectsitespossible.Useof thetiltrotor wouldelimi-nate,in manycases,theextramanpowerandtime requiredto makethetransferfrom airplanetohelicopter,anddecreaseaccesstime to thesites.

Otherareasof northernCanadaarerich in naturalresources,andtheir developmentgeneratessimilar air transportationneedsthatmightbebetterservedwith theuseof thetiltrotor.

Dataon thehelicopterandfixed-wingaircraftoperationsfor naturalresourcessupportmissionsshouldbe obtained and evaluated to assess the tiltrotor characteristics needed for these uses. Demand

for the technology will depend on the improved profitability resulting from the use of the tiltrotor

versus other modes of transportation.

LOW-DENSITY, ISOLATED COMMUNITIES

According to agreements signed in 1982 and 1983 between the Canadian government, the

Qurbec government, and the Inuit and Cri populations of northern Qurbec, 14 native Canadian

communities of northern Qurbec are to be provided with airport facilities. As can be seen in fig-ure 13, these settlements are scattered from the southern tip of James Bay to the northernmost part of

QuEbec province.

The first airport was opened in August 1985, and the program should be completed by 1992.

Four airports are still under construction, but 10 have been opened. Duration of construction work

varied from 3 mo for the Salluit airport to 2 yr for the others. Construction sites must be closed

during the winter months, and they usually reopen in May.

The federal government's financial contribution to this program is projected to be $78,874,800,

and the QuEbec provincial government will contribute a total of $48.8 million to the construction of

the Inuit airports.

Scheduled service to these remote airports is provided by one airline, Air Inuit, with Twin Otteraircraft.

The construction and maintenance of an airport network in the far north is expensive. The use of

the tiltrotor would eliminate the need for building such an airport system, and at the same time pro-

vide isolated communities with needed air transportation.

It is important to evaluate the total costs incurred in the implementation of the northern QuEbec

air transportation program and compare them with the potential expenses associated with tiltrotor

service in similar regions, to establish the feasibility of tiltrotor service to isolated communities ofthe Canadian north.

Data must be obtained on the low-density settlements of northern Canada: their location, their air

transportation needs, and the existing air services and infrastructure facilities that are available. This

19

will makepossibletheevaluationof vehiclerequirementsandpotentialmarketsfor thetiltrotor inthoseremoteregions.

Tourism

There is an additional demand for air transportation, mostly from hunters and fishermen, espe-

cially during autumn. At present, this sector represents a very small percentage of the demand for airservice.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Export Credit Financing

The Canadian Export Development Corporation, a federal agency, offers export credit financing

at subsidized rates. It loans 85% of the cost of purchase of aircraft built in Canada, provided that the

aircraft contains 60% Canadian components. Pratt and Whitney Canada powerplants typically repre-

sent almost 30% of the basic price of an aircraft. As long as a company demonstrates that it will

reach the required 60% within 5 to i0 yr, it has access to the government financing services.Depending on the trade agreements between Canada and the country of the buyer, the interest on the

loan is nonexistent or on the order of 3% or 4%. Of the remaining 15% of the cost of purchase, 10%

is sometimes granted, as a gift, by the Aid to International Development agency. In this case, all thatis required for the buyer to invest is the remaining 5% of the purchase cost.

Financial Support to Industry

The federal and provincial governments administer aid programs aimed at encouraging the

establishment and expansion of aeronautics businesses and to make possible the acquisition of the

latest technology. These programs help industry make investments, they grant subsidies or loans for

research and development (R&D), and they help defray the cost of specialized training. There is a

program for exchange of specialized training between Canada and foreign countries; if a specialtydoes not exist in Canada, the government subsidizes a high percentage of the training cost. For R&D,

the industry's budget for 1986 was 30% financed by the federal government. For companies that

want to participate in the Eureka program, the government finances up to 50% of expenditures.(Eureka is a European program to promote R&D projects; it involves 20 governments and more than

600 industrial companies and public research institutions.)

Two foreign companies that have benefited from the federal and provincial governments' assis-

tance in establishing production facilities in Canada are Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) of

Germany and Bell Helicopter of Texas. The benefits to Canada are technology transfer and jobs.

When, in 1984, MBB established its helicopter production facility at Fort Erie in Ontario (its

only company-owned helicopter manufacturing facility outside Germany), it received government

assistance totaling C$35 million; 60% was granted by the federal government and 40% by the prov-ince of Ontario. This MBB venture represented a total investment of $72.6 million. The Fort Erie

20

plantproducestheBO 105LSfamily of helicoptersfor theworld market.Theinitial 30%Canadianmaterialscontentof thehelicoptersassembledatFortEriewasto be increasedto 70%with theinstallationof thePW205Bengines.

Thecostof Bell's helicoptermanufacturingprogramin Canada,coveringtheproductionof theModel400Twin Rangerfamily, hadinitially beenestablishedat $514million in 1983.Thegovern-menthadagreedto contributeC$210million of this total; sixty percent(60%)wasto beprovidedbythefederalgovernmentand40%by theQuEbecgovernment.Becauseof diminishingdemandsin thehelicoptermarket,however,theprogramwasscaleddown.In thenewprogram,in whichBellinvested$155million, thecompanyagreedto movefourproductionlinesto MontrEal(the212,412,and206BJetRangersandthe206LLongRanger).About60%of the206BJetRangerand206LLongRangerhelicoptersaremanufacturedin Canada.

Canadian/European Industrial Agreements

The easing of trade restrictions between the U.S. and Canada in January 1988 caught the atten-

tion of European firms looking for a stepping stone to lucrative North American markets, and the

number of Canadian/European cooperative ventures has been growing.

In an effort to promote technology transfer agreements in the aerospace industry, QuEbec offers

foreign businesses attractive financial incentives, including two-year tax holidays (this feature is

unique to QuEbec). This policy has brought an encouraging response from French companies: 22 of

28 companies (79%) that signed industrial agreements with Canadian partners in the past two yearshave established themselves in QuEbec.

A major contract signed in September 1988 between AErospatiale of France and the MontrEal-based aircraft manufacturer Canadair involves the design and construction of six major fuselage

components for the A330 and A340 aircraft. This is the first major Airbus industrial agreement in

North America, and grants Canadair approximately 10% of the portion of the A330-A340 airframe

production for which AErospatiale is responsible. Canadair's total participation, involving an esti-mated $1.5 billion, will represent roughly 4% of the entire airframe production of 600 aircraft. This

program requires an investment in the amount of $157 million, part of which is for R&D. A loan

from the federal government will cover $37.3 million of these start-up costs, and an equal amount

will be loaned by the QuEbec government.

This subcontract agreement between Canadair and Agrospatiale is viewed by some (but not by

Air Canada, Canadair, or Airbus Industries of North America) as a compensation to Canada for last

July's sales of Airbus 320s, which significantly increased Airbus' market penetration into Canada.Air Canada, which is 55% government-owned and is Canada's largest carder, placed orders and

options for 54 A320s, and Canadian Air International (CAI) ordered 51. These two large ordersincrease Canada's Airbus fleet considerably, which previously consisted of only 14 A310s purchased

by Wardair Canada, Inc., in January 1987.

In November 1988, a second Canadian-European agreement was signed between Canadair and

British Aerospace, for $400 million. The contract covers the manufacturing of parts of the wings forthe A330 and A340 aircraft.

21

Thesetwo Canadian-Europeanmanufacturingagreements,whichthegovernment'sfinancialsupporthelpedrealize,areresultingin valuableadvancedtechnologytransferto Canada,andin thecreationof anestimated750newjobs in theCanadianeconomy.Thenewjoint venturesinvolvenotonly productionbut alsocooperationin marketinganddistribution.An exampleis theCanadair-A6rospatialeagreementon themarketingof theSuperPuma.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

From the somewhat restricted overview that is presented here, one can see that the tiltrotor has

potential commuter transportation applicability in Canada. Direct downtown air transportation is a

service that is needed in the Canadian market place, as evidenced by the increasing number of air

travelers that use the STOLservice to and from the Toronto STOLport in eastern Canada, and the

helicopter service to and from the Victoria and Vancouver Harbour heliports on the west coast.

The efficiency-reducing and economically costly congestion existing at Pearson International,

and the steadily increasing traffic at Dorval, are only the beginning of a worsening situation, accord-

ing to the forecasts for air traffic volume at these two airports for the rest of the century. Time-

conscious, efficiency-minded business people will demand alternative ways to travel between thebusiness centers of Toronto and Montr6al.

Use of tiltrotors to alleviate the resulting airport congestion could be integrated into the air trans-

port systems of Canada as well as the U.S. The infrastructure for handling tiltrotor movements inEastern Canada already exists or is being planned.

Natural resources development support, EMS, SAR, and service to isolated areas of the north are

four missions for which the tiltrotor's speed, range, and all-terrain accessibility seem to offer signifi-cant advantages in Canada.

A more detailed analysis of the market sectors described in this report will be necessary in order

to assess the market's fui1 potential.

22

APPENDIX

Communitynoiselevelestimatesof thetiltrotor in theturbopropmodearesignificantlylowerthanthosefor typicalturbopropaircraftandhelicopters;noisewaswell within limits permittedbyregulations(see"TR est" in figure A1).Hoveringnoiselevelsarethehighestfor thetiltrotor. Theyareestimatedto beonly slightlyhigherthanturbopropsidelinelevels,but lower thanhovernoiselevelsfor othersimilarhelicopters.Presumably,operationsin thehoveringmodewouldbemini-mizedin noise-sensitiveareasby meansof steepapproachesandflaresatgroundlevel.

Turboprops

[] Rul, II rR es, [] o.c-8

100

9O

'10z 80O.

III

Sl

z 7O

6O

5O

SF340 _ SD330 Helicopters

[] Rule • TR est [] BV234

AAJl

Takeoff Sideline Approach

Location

110_

100

9O

"OZ0.UJv

> 80O_1

"5z

70

60

50Approach

Figure A 1. Comparison of noise levels of tiltrotor aircraft with those of turboprops and helicopters.

23

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Canadian Operators Look to James Bay. Rotor and Wing International, vol. 22, 1988, p. 70.

Dagenais, R. C.: Search and Rescue in Canada, International Symposium on Satellite Aided Search

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Evans, Brian: A Canadian Roundup. Professional Pilot, vol. 22, 1988, pp. 54-57.

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Great North American Shakeout. Business Week, April 4, 1988, pp. 44-46.

Hughes, David: Canadian Orders Strengthen Airbus' Role in North America. Aviation Week and

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Jansen, Doug: Helijet Schedules Success. Helicopter World, vol. 8, 1989, pp. 20-22.

Lambert, Mark; and Bulloch, Chris: Canada's Aerospace Flourishes with New Owners. Interavia

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Lightfoot, R. N.: VTOL As It Applies to Resource Development in the Canadian North. AIAA

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MBB in Canada Tests the PW205. Rotor and Wing International, vol. 22, 1988, pp. 70.

Mac Burnie, Eric: Hoping with Helijet. Canadian Aviation, vol. 62, 1989, pp. 27-31.

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Mc Laren, Grant: Helijet Uses $76s to Link Vancouver and Victoria. Professional Pilot, vol. 23,

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25 PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT F!LMED

Picton, John: Airport Agonies. Toronto Star, Part 1-10, Dec. 4-13, 1988.

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Regional News-Canadian Comments. Helicopter International, vol. 10, 1987, p. 125.

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STOL Demonstration Montreal-Ottawa 1974-1976 III Data Report, Transport Canada, Sept. 1978.

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Toronto Harbour Commission, Toronto Island Airport 1939-1989, 1989.

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26

AeroportInternationalde Mlrabel

Deux MontagnesLake

AeroportInternational

de Dorval

• Cartierville MONTREALAirport •

Victoria

STOLport

St. Hubert

Saint-Louis Lake

Figure 1. The greater Montr6al area, showing airport locations.

27

10%

5%

3.8%

(a)

Forecast

2.3%

1985-86 1986-87 1987-96 1996-2001

Yearly average

4.1%

2%

(b)

5%Forecast

2.8%

1985-86 1986-87 1987-96 1996-2001

Yearly average

Source: Transport Canada Statistics

parliamentI-_iland

Gatineau Airport

Rockcllff

STOLport

\

Ottawa '_

International -_Airport

OTTAWA

Figure 2. Increase in traffic at Dorval Interna-

tional Airport, 1985 to 2001. (a) Percent

increase in aircraft movements; (b) percent

increase in passenger volume.

Figure 3.locations.

The Ottawa area, showing airport

28

Figure 4. The Toronto area, showing airport locations.

Turbopropsonly

General aviation

only

Figure 5. Percent of 1987 aircraft movements at Toronto's three airports.

29

6.3%

4.4%

2.8%

Forecast

• 2.1%

1985-86 1986-87 1987-96

(a) Yearly average

1996-2001

10%

7%

4%

Forecast

3%

1985-86 1986-87 1987-96

(b) Yearly average

Source: Transport Canada Statistics

1996-2001

Figure 6. Increase in traffic at Pearson International Airport. (a) Percent increase in aircraft

movements; (b) Percent increase in passenger volume.

3O

Figure7. TheMontreal-Ottawa-Torontoregion.

31

120,000

270,000

168,000

1984 1985 1986

400,000

1987

Forecasts

642,000

770,000

////

////

////

1996

Sources: Toronto Island Airport Slalislics; Transport Canada Stsllstics

895,000

-1

Figure 8. Passenger volume of City Express Airline.

%

Figure 9. The Vancouver-Victoria area and Helijet Airways flightpath.

32

21,000

59,000

1986-87 1987-88

73,000

l1 1988-89 I

Projected

Source: Canadian Aviation, January 1989

Figure 10. Passenger volume for Helijet Airways.

80

60

% 40

20

0

Breakeven point for 75%

3-helicopter fleet6O%

50%

Late 1986 Early 1987 Early 1988 Early 1989

Sources: Helicopter World, Jan-Mar 1989

Professional Pilot, January 1989

Figure 1 1. Passenger load factors for Helijet Airways.

$1.69m

1986-87

$4.3m

$6m

1987-88 1988-89

Estimated

Sources: Canadian Aviation, January 1989

Helicopter World, Jan-Mar 1989

Figure 12. Revenues for Helijet Airways.

33

Hudson

Bay

James

Bay

Ivujivik Salluit

, Povungn i!uk'.

KangiqsuJuaq

Quaqtaq

Kangiqsuk

/Aupaluk,

/l'asiujaq,_Kangiqsualujjuaq

Shefferville

,Eastmaln'

'rFort-Rupert

'Matagami Chibougamau

Gulf of St. Lawrence

Montreal

Territory of the Convention de laBale James et du Nord quel_cois

• Inuit airport

lib Cri airport

Figure 13, Settlements of northern Quebec.

34

I I/ A Report Documentation PageNs|_al Ae_Scs end

1. Report No.

NASA TM- 102245

2. Government Accession No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Potential Use of Tiltrotor Aircraft in Canadian Aviation

7. Author(s)

Denyse Gazdag (Versatec, Inc., Santa Clara, California),

and Larry Alton

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Ames Research Center

Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Washington, DC 20546-0001

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

5. Report Date

December 1990

6. Performing Organization Code

8. Performing Organization Report No,

A-89269

10. Work Unit No.

505-69-51

11. Contract or Grant No.

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Technical Memorandum

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplementary Notes

Point of Contact: Larry Alton, Ames Research Center, MS 237-11, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000

(415) 604-5887 or FTS 464-5887

16. Abstract

This paper describes the aviation system in Canada as it relates to the potential applicability of

tiltrotor technology. Commuter service in two corridors, the Vancouver-Victoria route on the west

coast and the heavily traveled Montr6al-Toronto corridor in eastern Canada, are examined. The

operation of air service from the near-downtown Toronto STOLport and from the Vancouver-Victoria

downtown heliport facilities is described. The emergency medical services, search and rescue, and

natural resources development sectors are described with regard to the needs that tihrotor technology

could uniquely meet in these areas. The airport construction program in isolated communities of

northern QuEbec and possible tiltrotor service in northern regions are reviewed. The federal and

provincial governments' financial support policy regarding the aeronautical industry is to encourage

the establishment and expansion of businesses in the field of aeronautics and to make possible the

acquisition of new technology. This policy has implications for the tiltrotor program.

17. Key Words (Suggested by Author(s})

Tiltrotor applications

Helicopter service

STOLport commuter service

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

18. Distribution Statement

Unclassified-Unlimited

Subject Category - 03

20.SecurityClassif.(ofthispagei 21. No.ofPagesUnclassified 38

22. Price

A03

NASA FORM 1626 OCT86For sale by the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161